Community leaders have hailed plans to reinstate a north-east railway line as a “golden opportunity” for the region.
Proposals to reopen the 14 miles of track between Ellon and Dyce were put forward during talks on the £2.9billion City Region deal.
Under the plans, a number of intermediate stations could also be reopened, including Newmachar.
The Press and Journal revealed last month the ambitious plan was gathering pace, with the SNP giving their backing to the Democratic Independent Green Group’s idea.
And now Newmachar Community Council has also come out in favour, with members arguing it would reduce pressure on the main roads into Aberdeen.
The group has written to Aberdeenshire Council’s chief executive Jim Savege outlining their support, stating the opening of a railway line would “undoubtedly” alleviate traffic chaos on the A90 Ellon to Aberdeen and the A947 Banff to Aberdeen roads at peak times.
Their letter adds: “We know that a project on this scale would need substantial funding and require a considerable amount of planning and technical work but the City Region Deal does offer an opportunity to turn the desire to improve public transport in our area into a reality.”
Last night Mike Taylor, secretary of the community council, said members had been “unanimously” behind the issue when it was discussed at a recent meeting.
“It’s a big idea, and there’s lots of thinking and planning still to do – for example, making sure Newmachar station is in a sensible place,” Mr Taylor said. “It’s the principle of it really that we’re supporting.
“It’s a golden opportunity. We don’t know what reinstating the railway would cost, but we did some sums.
“It’s not totally out of the box. It’s a lot of money but there’s a lot of money coming to the north-east for these types of projects.”
Stephen Archer, Aberdeenshire Council’s director of infrastructure services, said work was ongoing to identify and assess projects to ensure they would bring “significant added value and benefit” to the region.
He added: “As each project comes forward it will be underpinned by detailed feasibility studies which will include data analysis and in due course a comprehensive business case.
“This process will be ongoing as the City Region Deal discussions evolve and will take into account a range of stakeholder views. The preparatory work is key and will include early engagement with partners and communities as the process continues to develop.”
